Where Do The OKC Thunder's Title Chances Stand In This New NBA Landscape?

Oklahoma City seems to be rocking with the same squad as teams around them got better.

Apr 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) celebrates after scoring against the Phoenix Suns in the second half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Can the Oklahoma City Thunder weather the storm and get back to the top of the league?

Oklahoma City doesn’t seem to have the path it once did to get back to the NBA Finals. Just a season ago, it seemed that nobody would be able to compete with the Thunder, as they were coming off their first championship in franchise history and were only predicted to get better. 

It seemed that OKC was going to live up to this hype, as it had an incredible start to the year, winning 24 of its first 25 games. However, things wouldn’t last. The Thunder would battle injuries all year, hindering their chances at going back-to-back, along with another bump in the road, the San Antonio Spurs. 

The Spurs gave OKC trouble during the regular season, and then would meet them once again in the Western Conference Finals. The young Spurs team, who seemed to be competing two seasons too soon, shocked the world by taking down OKC, sending the defending champs home for the summer. Now, the Thunder are getting healthy and preparing to try and make a run at another title, but do they still have a shot?

Other teams seemed to have caught up to Oklahoma City this offseason in terms of skill level. The 76ers have acquired LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to round out a star-loaded roster, along with LaMelo Ball being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves to team up with Anthony Edwards. Not to mention, the Spurs team, which is only going to get more experienced, added Tobias Harris as a true four on the roster. 

All of these other teams seemed to have gotten better, but that doesn’t mean the Thunder aren’t still good enough to be the last ones standing. As of right now, Oklahoma City is tied with the Spurs with the best odds, according to DraftKings, to win next year’s championship at +270. 

This battle with the Spurs might not have gone in OKC’s favor last time, but this season, the squad hopes to have both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell at full health to take down the San Antonio squad. If both rising stars are able to stay healthy this season, it could lead to Oklahoma City back on top. 

The NBA landscape might be changing rapidly, but one thing that is the same is that OKC is still a top team to beat. They’ll get to prove this one more time this upcoming season and will need to continue to play their best basketball to do so.